The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 4
This mark is conferred on the person entitled to it, by cutting the skin across at the top of the forehead, and drawing it down to the eye-brows; and while it is in this situation applying a warm hand, and rubbing it until it shrinks up into a thick _weal_ across the lower part of the forehead.
Esta marca é conferida à pessoa que tem direito a ela, cortando-se a pele transversalmente no topo da testa e puxando-a para baixo até as sobrancelhas; e enquanto está nessa situação, aplicando uma mão quente e esfregando até que ela se contraia formando uma espessa _cicatriz_ na parte inferior da testa.
Most of the judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long born it: I had seen it conferred on one of my brothers, and I was also _destined_ to receive it by my parents.
A maioria dos juízes e senadores estava assim marcada; meu pai a carregava há muito tempo: eu a havia visto ser conferida a um de meus irmãos, e eu também estava _destinado_ a recebê-la por meus pais.
Those Embrence, or chief men, decided disputes and punished crimes; for which purpose they always assembled together.
Esses Embrence, ou homens principais, decidiam disputas e puniam crimes; para esse fim, sempre se reuniam juntos.
The proceedings were generally short; and in most cases the law of retaliation prevailed.
Os procedimentos eram geralmente breves; e na maioria dos casos prevalecia a lei de retaliação.
I remember a man was brought before my father, and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to make recompense by a man or woman slave.
Lembro-me de que um homem foi levado perante meu pai e os outros juízes por ter raptado um menino; e, embora fosse filho de um chefe ou senador, foi condenado a fazer reparação com um escravo homem ou mulher.
Adultery, however, was sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa[A]: so sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous are they of the fidelity of their wives.
O adultério, porém, era às vezes punido com escravidão ou morte; um castigo que acredito ser infligido em grande parte das nações da África[A]: tão sagrada entre eles é a honra do leito matrimonial, e tão ciumentos são eles da fidelidade de suas esposas.
Of this I recollect an instance:--a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished.
Disto me recordo de um exemplo: uma mulher foi condenada perante os juízes por adultério, e entregue, como era costume, ao seu marido para ser punida.
Vocabulary
- Esta
- This (feminine demonstrative pronoun)
- marca
- Mark, brand, or scar on skin
- conferida
- Conferred, granted, or given to someone
- pessoa
- Person, individual human being
- que
- That, which, who (relative pronoun)
- tem
- Has, possesses (third person singular)
- direito
- Right, law, or entitlement to something
- ela
- She, her (feminine personal pronoun)
- pele
- Skin, outer layer of body
- no
- In the, on the (contraction)
- topo
- Top, peak, upper part of something
- da
- Of the (feminine singular contraction)
- testa
- Forehead, front part of head
- para
- For, to, in order to (preposition)
- baixo
- Low, below, beneath position
- até
- Until, up to, as far as
- as
- The (feminine plural article)
- sobrancelhas
- Eyebrows, hair above eyes
- enquanto
- While, during, at same time as
- está
- Is, stays (third person singular)
- nessa
- In that, on that (contraction)
- situação
- Situation, condition, state of affairs
- aplicando
- Applying, putting on, using something
- uma
- A, an (feminine indefinite article)
- mão
- Hand, palm, manual labor
- quente
- Hot, warm, heated temperature
- se
- Itself, oneself (reflexive pronoun)
- formando
- Forming, creating, making shape
- espessa
- Thick, dense, not thin
- cicatriz
- Scar, mark from healed wound
- na
- In the, on the (feminine)
- parte
- Part, piece, section of whole
- inferior
- Lower, beneath, under position
- maioria
- Majority, most, greater number
- dos
- Of the (masculine plural)
- juízes
- Judges, magistrates, legal authorities
- senadores
- Senators, legislative officials
- estava
- Was, existed (imperfect tense)
- assim
- Thus, so, in this way
- marcada
- Marked, branded, having scar
- meu
- My, mine (masculine possessive)
- pai
- Father, male parent
- carregava
- Carried, bore, transported (imperfect)
- há
- There is, ago, for duration
- muito
- Much, very, great amount
- tempo
- Time, period, season, weather
- eu
- I, me (first person pronoun)
- havia
- Had, existed (pluperfect tense)
- visto
- Seen, viewed, witnessed (past)
- ser
- To be, existence, essence
- um
- A, an (masculine indefinite)
- de
- Of, from, belonging to
- meus
- My, mine (masculine plural)
- irmãos
- Brothers, male siblings
- também
- Also, too, likewise
- destinado
- Destined, intended, meant for
- pais
- Parents, father and mother
- Esses
- These, those (masculine plural)
- ou
- Or, either...or (conjunction)
- homens
- Men, male persons, humanity
- principais
- Main, principal, most important
- decidiam
- Decided, determined (imperfect tense)
- disputas
- Disputes, conflicts, disagreements
- puniam
- Punished, inflicted penalty (imperfect)
- crimes
- Crimes, offenses, illegal acts
- esse
- That, this (masculine singular)
- fim
- End, purpose, objective goal
- sempre
- Always, ever, continually
- reuniam
- Gathered, assembled, met together
- juntos
- Together, jointly, united
- Os
- The (masculine plural article)
- procedimentos
- Procedures, processes, methods
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